Figure wheeled toy



J. w. KNIPP.

FIGURE WHEELED TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 192 1.

Patented June 14, 1921!.

2 SHEETSSHHEET 1.

. I l\ k mmvrogz- ATTORNEY.

J..W. KNIPP.'

FIGURE WHEELED TOY.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR.26, 1921.

' 1,38l1',566, v PatentedJune14,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W/TNESSES: J3 1M2 14 1240 14 6' ii mvmrok;

(Ea QM ATTORNEY.

1710115 of the to -Fig. 8 but illustrated as being JULIUS W. KNIPP, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM F. BOCKHOFF,

OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

FIGURE WHEELED TOY.

Substitute for applica ion Serial No. 339,968, filed November 22, 1919.

Serial No. 456,005.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JULiUs W. KNIPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Figure Wheeled Toy, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to a toy of the ty )e that is designed to be pulled along the ground or a floor by means of a string or similar device, the invention having reference more particularly to a toy that is designed to move in a tortuous or serpentine manner when pulled.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved toy that shall be amusing and educational while being harmless and which shall be of such construction as to. be'suitable to be used. as a plaything by children either in-doors or out-doors. Another object is to provide an inexpensive and durable toy which shall be a. source of great amusement and pleasure and may be grotesque in character.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view the invention consists in a toy having a plurality of sections hinged together in a novel manner so that the toy is capable of wriggling when pulled along a surface; the invention consisting also vfurther in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved toy in one of its forms; Fig. 2 is a top plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, taken centrally, the forward and rear portions being broken away; Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal section of one ofthe body secy; Fig. 5 is a top plan of one of the body sections; Fig. 6 is a. horizontal central section of two of the body sections connected together; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the body sections; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the toy in another of its characteristic forms; Fig. 9 is a top planof in a wriggli-ng position; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 19,21.

This application filed March 26,

the toy modified to represent a dog; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the toy slightly modified to represent a fish; and. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the toy modified to represent an alligator.

Similar reference characters on the different figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features .hercin referred to in detail.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates an approximately plane surface such as a floor or a pavement on which the toy is adapted to be drawn. the toy has any desired or suitable number of joints in order that it may assume ser pentine contortions during movement. the body portion comprising sections having body portions 2. 3, 4., more or less if desired, and also a head section and a tail sec-- tion. The sections may suitably be composed of wood and each section has a straight bottom 6 and a top 7 of suitable contour, the latter being preferably ornamentally curved or having a characteristic contour. The sections are suitably hinged together with the hinge pins vertically arranged. One end of the bodv of each section has a projecting ear or hinge member 8 thereon provided with a vertical pin hole 9, the end portion of the ear having beveled sides 10 and 11. The opposite end of each section that comprises the body of the toy has a slot 12 therein that receives the car of a companion section, the end portion that has the slot being provided with a vertical hinge pin 13 that extends-through the pin hole 9. Above and below the slot the end portion has beveled sides 14 and 15 adapted to engage the end of the companion sections above and below the ear to limit the pivotal movement of the sections, while sides 10 and 11 may alternately be stopped against the bottom of the slot 12. The toy comprises a suitable head section 16 which has also the slot 12 that receives the ear 8 of the forward one of the ishingedly connected therewith as abovev described. he toy comprises also a tail section 17 which has on its forward end an ear 8 as above described which is receivedv into the slot 12 of the rearward one of the body sections, the sections being hingedly connected together as above described.

In some cases the toy is made to represen body sections and the beveled The body portion of tion 16 is shaped approximately to the contour of a locomotive 18; and the tail section 17 has the representation of a cabin car 19, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The toy may be shaped to representa mule in which case the head section 16 has a mules head 20 thereon, the tail section 17 having a rear body portion 21 thereon provided with a tail 22, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The toy in other casesmay be shaped to represent a dog in which case the head section 16 has a dogs head 23 thereon, the tail section 17 I having a rear body portion 24; thereon provided with a tail 25, as shown in Fig. 10. In other cases the toy is designed to represent a fish in which case the head section 16 has a fishs'head26 thereon, the tail section 17 having a suitable rear body portion 27 thereon rovided with a fish tail 28, as shown in *ig. 11. In other cases the toy is designed to represent an alligator in which case the head section 16 has an alligators head 29 thereon, the tail section 17 having an alligator tail 30 thereon, as shown in Fig. 12. Each toy has a pull string or cord 31 connected to its forward portion. The foregoing are examples of the many different forms in which the toy may be constructed without deviating from the principle of construction.

Preferably is provided with suitable axles 32 and 33 on which wheels 34 and 35 are mounted, the tail section 17 bein provided with axles 36 and 37 on which wheels 38 and 39 are mounted, respectively. In case the head and tail sections are provided with wheels one of the body sections may also beprovided with axles 40 and 41 on which wheels 42 and 4 3 are mounted, respectively. The wheels preferably-are provided in order that the toy may be easily drawn over a carpet which tends to cause increased animation or contortions of the toy in its movements, the lat- I ter being obtainedby placing the wheels of the head andtail sections relatively near to their joints with the body sections.

The various sections of the toy, as will be understood, may be simply shaped and made to represent various characters by means of paint or other coatings.

In using the top as a plaything it is pulled along the floor or elsewhere as may be desired, and While the string 31 may be pulled straight it may be jerked .sidewise to accentuate or increase the contortions of the moving toy,and obviously the toy may be drawnin a circle to represent a train running on a curve. On a smooth surface the toy may be drawn straight ahead without contortions being produced, if so desired.

the head section 16 of the toy Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A figure wheeled toy comprising a pinrality of body sections hingedly connected directly one to another, an intermediate one of the sections only being provided centrally with a pair of wheels, a head section hingedly connected directly to one of the end ones ot the bodysections and provided adjacent to its connected portion with a pair of wheels, and a tail section hingedly connected directly to the remaining one of the end sections and provided adjacent to its connected portion with a pair of wheels.

2. A figure wheeled toy comprising a plurality of sections directly hinged one to an- ..other, the hinged end of each sect-ionhaving a stop shoulder on each side of its hinged connection to be engaged by the adjacent section, each one of the terminal sections being provided with a pair of wheels relatively I .nearer to its hinge connection than to its end and at a distance from the hinge connection.

3. In a figure wheeled toy, the combination of a plurality of body sections having each an ear rigid on one end thereof, the end portion of each ear having beveled sides, the opposite end of sides and having also a slot receiving the ear of another section, hinge pins rigidly secured in the slotted )ortions of the sections and extending loose l respectively, a head section hinged directly to one of the end ones ofthe body sections, and a tail section hinged directly to the remainingone of the end ones ot the body sections.

4. In a figure wheeled toy, the combination of'a plurality of body sections directly hinged one to cured to one of the sections midway between the ends of the section, two wheels rotatable on the axles, respectively, a head section directly hinged at one end to one of the end ones of the body sections, two wheels mounted on the head section at a distance from its hinged end but relatively nearer to the hinged end than to the opposite end of the section, a tail section directly hinged at one end to the remaining one of the end ones of the body sections, and two wheels mounted on the tail section at a distance from its hinged end but relativ ly nearer to the hinged end than to the opposite end of the section. 1 L

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS W.-KNIP1?.

each section having beveled y through the adjacent cars another, two axles rigidly se- 

